Shooting suspect found hiding

Law enforcement officials caught up with Michael Loftin in the parking lot of Denny’s Restaurant off of U.S. Highway 101 on Friday.

Loftin, 31, of Crescent City was wanted as the primary suspect in a shooting on Douglas Street on Tuesday night.

Crescent City Police Chief Doug Plack said that the CCPD received an anonymous phone call that Loftin was near Denny’s. CCPD Sgt. Erik Apperson was nearby and helped set up a multi-agency search.

“He took control of setting up the perimeter with the assistance of the Sheriff’s department, the probation department, State and National Parks, and California Department of Forestry law enforcement,” Plack said.

Law enforcement officers swept through all the local businesses in the area with no luck. After a lengthy search, Loftin was eventually located hiding in the back seat of a car, underneath a baby seat and some clothes.

“I didn’t think somebody could hide in such a small space, but he did,” Plack said.

Plack said Loftin was unarmed at the time of his arrest.

“He was passively resistant during the apprehension,” Plack said. “But we were able to secure him and transported him to the Sheriff’s Office. It was a cooperative effort to bring this dangerous individual into custody. I applaud everybody that was involved in the apprehension of Mr. Loftin.”

Loftin is suspected of shooting Ronnie Meyer Sr. over a dispute involving a truck. Meyer went to Sutter Coast Hospital for treatment. According to hospital spokesperson Beth Liles, Meyer was in critical condition on Wednesday but was upgraded to stable by Friday.

Reach Michael Zogg at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it